Tips: Shopping at IKEA

Secrets of the Swedes.Consumerist recently ran an ex-IKEA employees tips for shopping the Swedish Giant: 8 IKEA Shopping Tips From A Former Employee. While some of this stuff is common knowledge for experienced IKEA shoppers, (and some of it just didn’t apply to Manhatan-area IKEAs where many shoppers don’t own cars) we thought it was a great chance to start our own AT list to possibly make the experience more enjoyable for other AT readers…

1. Shop early. If you are taking the free bus to the Elizabeth store from Port Authority, try to get on the first or second bus (10:00) — you won’t have to wait long for a bus and you’ll beat the crowds at the store.

2. If you see something you might want to purchase, grab it. You can always ditch it later when you edit before the checkout — that’s what those bins by the checkout are for!

3. If you are having IKEA deliver larger purchasers, go BIG. The flat delivery fee of $100 doesn’t seem like a lot if you are furnishing half your apartment in one swoop.

4. Don’t plan on anything being in stock. Every day is a new day — especially at IKEA. The inventory turns over so fast. If you are after something specific, order it online.

Please share your own constructive tips for braving the big blue and yellow in the comments!